The FIFA World Cup will be officially going on TikTok. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) made the announcement earlier this week, partnering up with the popular app in order to add a new perspective to the historic tournament.
“This is an innovative and creative collaboration that will connect more fans across the globe to the FIFA World Cup in unprecedented ways, bringing them behind the curtain and closer to the action than ever before,” said Mattias Grafstrom, the secretary general of FIFA.
“As football grows and evolves — uniting an increasing number of people — so should the way it is shared and promoted.”
This year's World Cup will take place in Canada, the US, and Mexico, hosting 48 teams in what's being billed as the biggest World Cup ever. Earlier this year, the cup announced its official schedule, consisting of 104 matches that will be played throughout the months of June and July. The World Cup is kicking off on June 11th, in Mexico.
This year, the World Cup is introducing a new format. The 48 national teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the two top teams qualifying for the next category. The eight best third-place teams will also be advancing, resulting in 32 knockout teams, launching a new round of 32. Then, teams must win or go home.
On June 28th, the round of 32nd begins, with quarterfinals taking place on July 9th and 11th. Semifinals will take place on July 14th and 15th, while the final will air on July 19th.
You can check out a more thorough breakdown of the schedule on this link.
TikTok's history with sports competitions
TikTok is one of the world's most popular apps and has collaborated with FIFA in the past, most notoriously on the 2023 Women's World Cup. The partnership proved fruitful, with the cup's official hashtag reaching 1.8 billion views, featuring a section of selected creators who were able to make a business and earn profit from their videos and work.
Other sports tournaments that have partnered with TikTok include the English soccer club Burnley Women, the Women’s European Championship, the Club World Cup, and the Women’s Super League in Bangladesh. They've also partnered up with other sports competitions, including the tennis ATP tour and golf's PGA tour.